The use of gypsum board (drywall) for interior walls and ceilings of buildings is ubiquitous. Walls and ceilings may be finished in a fraction of the time required for lath and plaster finishing.
Along with its many advantages, gypsum board has severe limitations with respect to its ability to support pictures, mirrors and the like. Unless a hanger is positioned directly over a stud, into which screws or nails may be driven, special fixtures are required. A common solution is to drill a hole through the board, insert an appropriately sized plastic or fiber anchor into the hole, and drive a screw into the anchor. Other devices include a self-drilling anchor which cuts its own hole and screws into the board. Yet other hangers use a nail driven downwardly into the board at an acute angle from which a hook is suspended.
All of the prior art fixtures and hangers have disadvantages. Drilling a hole in gypsum board produces fine white dust, which must be cleaned up after installation is complete. Moreover, if the fixture is removed, a scar is left in the wall which requires patching with dry wall compound or plaster of paris followed by sanding and painting. In general, installing or removing the hanging fixtures of the prior art is a messy job.